


Flux

by Write_To_You



Series: The Flux Trilogy [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Iris And Barry Aren't Married, Season/Series 05, Snowbarry Fam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25529185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Write_To_You/pseuds/Write_To_You
Summary: Barry and Iris are no longer together. Now, Barry needs to deal with his suddenly changing future (and Nora’s changing past), as well as his growing feelings for a certain auburn-haired doctor.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Caitlin Snow, Barry Allen & Cisco Ramon & Caitlin Snow, Barry Allen & Nora West-Allen, Barry Allen & Nora West-Allen & Caitlin Snow, Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow, Caitlin Snow & Nora West-Allen
Series: The Flux Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849717
Comments: 30
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhhh!! I'm finally starting to post the Flux series!! 
> 
> To give you guys some info, Flux is the first fanfiction in the Flux Trilogy (which I will posted in their time). It follows the story of Barry, Caitlin and Nora and the changes that come about in their lives after Barry and Iris decide to end things. It is, of course, SNOWBARRY, though there is a focus on the SnowAllen fam (Barry Cait and Nora), as well as OG Team Flash. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter and stick around for the rest!! This is probably one of the best Snowbarry stories I've ever written, and one of the ONLY series I've ever written. It was kinda my baby when I was writing it hahha :)

It was completely silent in Caitlin’s lab, save for the soft whir of some machine or other that was running in the room. Caitlin and Barry were both seated- Caitlin on a chair and Barry on one of the medical beds, with two mugs of tea and a plate of pizza pockets that Caitlin had been generous enough to share between them.

Even though he was still on the gurney, Barry wasn’t badly injured. He had been in a fight but his cuts were healing. That’s not why they were there. 

During the fight, it had come out that Barry and Iris weren’t together anymore. It had been a shock to the entire team, but not quite as much as it would have been a couple months ago. There had been a lot of arguing, storming out of rooms, disobeying of orders and glaring going on the past couple of weeks. Something had switched, and now it seemed that Caitlin was going to find out what.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Caitlin prefaced, giving Barry a searching look. “Your and Iris’ business isn’t mine. Obviously.”

“No, I want to tell you,” Barry said. “I kind of _need_ to, you know? I just need to tell _someone_. Cisco just got over a breakup so it doesn’t seem fair to complain to him, and I can’t really talk to Joe or Cecile about this... I mean, Iris is Joe’s daughter. And Nora is... Iris’ daughter.”

Caitlin tilted her head to one side. “How does that.... how does that work, now? You guys aren’t together anymore.... how does Nora get.... created?”

Barry buried his head in his hands, letting out a pained groan. “I really don’t know,” he admitted. “When Nora got here, of course I just assumed that eventually Iris and I would get married and have her. But now I just don’t see how it’s going to happen.”

He lifted his head and took a sip of his tea. “You know... it’s kind of strange. Nora coming here, and seeing how Iris and her interact... that was just the last straw. Things hadn’t been great between us for a little while... and I mean, don’t get me wrong, Iris is a really good person. We broke it off as friends. But she is a different person than the girl I fell in love with when we were kids... even the woman I was in love with when I woke up from my coma. The hand that life has dealt us.... with Savitar -me, I guess- going to kill her, and then how I was in the Speed Force for six months.... I guess it just changed things.”

“But Nora was the last straw?” Caitlin echoed curiously.

“It’s kind of stupid, honestly,” Barry sighed. “But you know how, when you would see your crush with little kids, how it always makes you _feel_ something?”

“Yeah,” Caitlin agreed, smiling a little. “I’m no psychologist, but I suppose it would have to do with an innate paternal or maternal instinct. You’d look at the guy -or girl, in your case- that you liked with a little kid and you’d immediately start imagining what they’d be like as a parent.” She paused. “I feel like it should have been that, but tenfold, in your case. Nora is _actually_ your and Iris’ child... even if she’s nearly your age right now.”

“I know,” Barry said. “And that’s my point. I saw the two of them interact and I just felt... _nothing_. Especially when they would argue. I don’t necessarily agree with Nora’s habit of storming out of places and petty jabs.... but she’s just a teenager, you know?”

“I think that your daughter is an amazing young woman,” Caitlin told him reassuringly. “And she is brilliant, too. She takes after you.”

Barry smiled at her, before his brow furrowed. “I suppose you two haven’t really had much time to interact, have you?” His face fell. “I guess that none of us really have.”

Caitlin bit her lip. “Actually... Nora came to me about a week after she arrived her, after she started working as your intern at the CCPD.”

“She did?”

“Yeah,” Caitlin said. “She had a couple questions about this day and age’s methods of forensic science. I told her what I knew and we looked up the rest. Don’t tell her I told you- I don’t think she wanted you to know that she didn’t have all the answers. She really looks up to you, you know, and she doesn’t want you to think that she’s any less brilliant than she is.”

Barry nodded sheepishly. “I suppose that’s fair.” 

“After that... well, we just started talking more,” Caitlin continued. “Not so much about the future- I know how dangerous that is- but about the present. And about her. What she likes to do, what her favorite things are... we even talked about a couple of cute girls back in her time. But that conversation is purely confidential.” She winked at Barry. “Wouldn’t want you to go locking up their parents so they couldn’t be born or anything.”

Barry let out a hearty laugh and Caitlin’s face broke into a smile. This was the first time she had seen him laugh this hard in a while. In truth, he probably _had_ laughed that hard recently... she just hadn’t been around.

“You know, back to what I was saying before,” Barry continued when he caught his breath and ate a pizza pocket. “I haven’t made much time for you and Cisco lately. I’ve been so focused on Iris, and then Nora coming to stay.... I mean, Caitlin, I found out about your father from _Sherloque_.”

“I’m sorry,” Caitlin sighed. “I know I should have told you.”

“But I wasn’t here for you to tell!” Barry interrupted. “You and Cisco and I used to be best friends. We used to get drinks together, hang out after hours at STAR Labs, have movie nights...” He trailed off and his eyes suddenly started to get a little watery. “I miss that, you know? I really, _really_ , miss those old days of Team Flash.”

“Oh, _Barry_.” Caitlin stood up and sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “You are always going to have us. We’re OG Team Flash, remember?”

He let out a tearful laugh, sniffling and couple of times and trying to reign in his emotions. “I know,” he sighed finally. “That’s what makes you guys such good friends. I really want you two back in my life.”

“It’s never too late, Barry,” Caitlin told him softly, giving him a last squeeze before letting her arm fall. “I know Cisco really needs everyone he cares about around him right now. What with Gypsy leaving him... and now this thing with his powers...”

Barry nodded his agreement. He took his last sip of tea, stretching a little bit and standing up. “How about the three of us go and get a drink sometime?” he suggested hopefully. “Like old times?”

“That sounds great,” Caitlin smiled. “And I will do everything in my power to make sure Ralph _doesn't_ tag along.” 

Barry laughed. “As much as I like Ralph.... that would be preferable.”

He paused before leaving the room, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for listening to me,” he murmured. “And just... being there.”

Caitlin placed her hand on top of his, smiling up at him. She had missed this; the familiarity, the comfort... and yes, the touching. “Anytime you need someone to talk to or to listen to you, you know where you can find me,” she told him.

He nodded and smiled at her one more time, before flashing out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While season 5 of the Flash didn't show allll that much Nora&Caitlin interaction, I felt like they had the potential to be SUPER adorkable together. Sooo here's a little Caitlin and Nora fluffy chapter for y'all :)

Nora was back to living at STAR Labs. She figured that her Dad deserved some space after everything that had happened with Iris, and it was too weird to see him moping around alone at the loft while she was trying to sleep on the couch. 

Iris had, kindly enough, left Barry with the loft. He was relieved- it would have felt incredibly weird to go back to living at Joe’s after breaking up with his daughter. Besides, he _had_ paid for the place... even though it was Iris‘ Christmas gift.

Not being in a relationship with Iris was strange. He had either been in one or had wanted to be in one with her for almost his entire life, and it was partially relieving and partially lonely to see it end. Nora, for her part, was 80 percent relieved and 20 percent confused. If Iris and Barry weren‘t together..... then how was Iris her mom? Even scarier, if Iris _wasn't_ her mom, what was going to happen to her?

She had found out last night, with the rest of the Team, about Iris and Barry’s official split. She had known they were taking some space (or that’s what they had told her), but she hadn’t know they had broken up.

She had also accidentally walked into the Cortex after Barry got back from the newest meta fight to find he and Caitlin hugging in the laters lab. Grinning from ear to ear, she had quickly backed out, not wanting to interrupt. 

Nora was pleased. She loved her Aunty Caitlin (a lot more than she had ever liked her mom), and she personally thought that the young doctor and Barry were _much_ more compatible than Barry and Iris were. For starters, Barry and Caitlin were both scientists. Cisco was both their best friend, they were both superheroes, _and_ they had had a lot of shared life experiences. They had both lost their fathers at a young age, and Caitlin had lost her husband (twice) while Barry lost his mother (also twice).

So, Nora was happy to see them talking again. In the Flash museum, all the old stuff from year one of Team Flash had documented terrific wins where Caitlin and Cisco would come up with the plan and Barry would execute. They were the OG Team Flash, and Nora thought they were pretty darn schway.

She was organizing all of her clothes in the guest room that Harrison Wells and Jesse Quick had once stayed in ( _so schway_ ) when Caitlin found her.

“Nora!” she exclaimed, surprised. “What are you doing back here?”

“I moved out of the loft,” Nora shrugged. “I think dad deserves some space. And I kinda of look like mom so that might be a bit of a reminder of everything that’s happened.”

Caitlin nodded her understand. “Are you sure you’re alright here? I can’t imagine these beds are very comfortable.”

“It’s okay!” Nora chirped, sitting down. “This is where Harry and Jesse Quick stayed, according to the Flash museum. Jesse Quick is so cool. She was the first female speedster superhero! I want to be just like her.”

Caitlin smiled. “Jesse _is_ pretty awesome,” she agreed. “But I don’t know, Nora, I think you might be even faster than she was.”

Nora’s eyes went wide. “No way, really? _Schway_. I mean, cool.”

“You can say schway, Nora, I don’t mind,” Caitlin laughed. “I think it’s kind of fun, actually.”

Nora grinned. “Awesome, thanks! Mom just always seemed kind of annoyed when I said it so I guess I thought it was weird...?”

Caitlin shook her head, keeping the smile on her face. Inside, though, she felt her stomach tighten. How you could get annoyed with this bubbly, adorkable girl was completely beyond her. “I like it,” she reassured her. “Do you need any help unpacking?” 

“No, I think I’m okay!” Nora said, hopping back up from her bed. “I’m almost all done. I _could_ do it at super speed, I guess, but then I’d be hungry and I don’t exactly have enough cash for a Big Belly Burger at the moment.”

Caitlin’s eyebrows furrowed. “Nora!” she exclaimed. “You _never_ have to be ashamed or nervous to ask for money for food. Here at STAR Labs we all know from experience how much calories it takes to keep a speedster going. Trust me- we’ve been around your father during pizza night.”

Nora laughed, eyes lighting up like they did whenever someone mentioned Barry. Caitlin smiled. “Come with me,” she suggested. “I’m going to give you something.”

Eagerly, Nora bounced to her feet and followed Caitlin out of the room. Caitlin led her to the cupboard inside the Cortex and pulled out five wrapped items. Nora frowned. “Granola bars?”

Caitlin nodded. “Granola bars. But these, Nora, are _special_ granola bars. This is your father’s favorite snack.”

Nora squinted at her, corners of her mouth lifting. “Um... I pretty sure that’s pizza.”

“Okay, fine,” Caitlin relented. “But they’re your father’s most _useful_ snack. These have enough calories to charge you up for a full three hours. I designed them myself.”

Nora eagerly opened one and took a bite. She pulled a face. “No offense, Aunty Caitlin, but you maybe should have thought to give them some better flavor.”

Caitlin laughed despite herself. “Maybe you and I could work on that sometime,” she suggested. “Bit of a science project. We would need to keep the sugars down to prevent a crash-”

“That’s why it tastes like cardboard,” Nora said, pulling a face. Caitlin raised an eyebrow and she quickly backtracked. “No offense, I mean! I’m sure they’re super helpful.”

Caitlin shook her head and smiled. “It’s alright,” she allowed. “They’re probably pretty bad.”

Nora grinned. “...yeah, kinda.”

“Maybe that’s why Barry always says he’s just eaten when I offer him a bar,” Caitlin wondered aloud.

Nora burst into giggles. “Yeah, probably. If I know anything about my dad, it’s that he’s _always_ hungry.”

She took the calorie bars from Caitlin and stuffed them into her pockets. “Thanks, Auntie Cait!” she exclaimed. “And I would love to make some flavor stuff with you. That’d be fun. Now I gotta go finish unpacking- see ya later!”

She flashed off and Caitlin shook her head fondly, smiling after her. Then, on an afterthought, she took one of the bars and broke off a piece.

“ _Ugh_ ,” she muttered, pulling a face. “This really _is_ disgusting.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a definite call-back to way back in SEASON 1 when they all went out for drinks after Bette died. 
> 
> Man, does anyone else miss those old days?

Three shot glasses were placed on the counter and Caitlin, Cisco and Barry all threw them back. Caitlin pulled a face. “Alcohol,” she sighed. “As disgusting as ever.”

Barry grinned. “You didn’t seem to think that when we went to that karaoke bar a couple years ago.”

Caitlin groaned, disregarding germs for a moment and putting her head down on the table. “I thought we agreed never to talk about that again!” she cried.

Cisco snickered, before shaking his head in mock-disappointment. “I still can’t believe you two went to a bar and sang karaoke without me,” he sighed.

“I’m a bit disappointed we did to be honest,” Barry admitted. “Not that one-on-one time with drunk Caitlin isn’t _awesome_ and everything-”

“ _Shut up, Barry_ -”

“But when Kara and I got sent into the Music Meister’s world, you had a pretty great voice, Cisco,” Barry finished, laughing. 

Caitlin lifted her head. “You can sing?” she gaped. “How come this has never come up before?!”

Cisco grinned. “Well, it would have if you hadn’t gone on a date without me.”

The other two rolled their eyes. Caitlin ordered another shot and Barry pouted. “It’s no fair going to bars with you two,” he complained. “You can get buzzed and nothing even effects me.”

Caitlin grinned, reaching into her pocket. “You didn’t _honestly_ think that I would agree to go to a bar with you and not come prepared?” she scolded.

“What version is this?” Cisco smirked. “26?”

“ _Four_ , thank you very much,” Caitlin huffed. “The third one exploded.”

Barry looked wary. “Should I be concerned?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Cisco snickered.

“It’s perfectly harmless,” Caitlin disagreed, shaking her head. Then she paused. “Or, it should be. I don’t really have anything to test it on.”

Barry shrugged. “I trust you,” he said, before tipping the vial into his mouth. 

Almost immediately, his left hand began to vibrate at super speed. Caitlin’s eyes bulged. “Oh shoot shoot shoot!”

“Heh,” Barry mumbled, pocking at his hand. “Look.... ‘s moving,” he slurred.

“Uh huh!” Caitlin squeaked, grabbing his hand and hurriedly hiding it under the table. Cisco was laughing hysterically and the bartender was giving them an odd look. 

“You’re holding my hand!” Barry exclaimed, smiling dopeyly. “Aw, Cait, I didn’t know you cared...”

Caitlin blushed and quickly let go of his hand. “I’m just making sure that no one notices!” she exclaimed.

The vibrating started to slow down and Barry let out a sigh. “I think it’s leaving,” he said, disappointed.

Caitlin scrunched her mouth to the side. “It should have a faint, long term effect,” she told him. “That’s how I designed it, anyway. It... wasn’t supposed to hit you that hard originally, though.”

“Yeah, you know?” Barry nodded, no longer slurring. “I think that there’s still a little buzz there.” 

He held up his now still hand for a high five, and Caitlin grinned and gave it to him. “Good work, Doctor Snow.”

“Here’s to Caitlin!” Cisco proclaimed, raising a new shot. “Doctor extraordinaire...” He lowered his voice. “And badass superhero, all in one.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly and clinked glasses with him. “Oh, stop,” she muttered. “You both are just as awesome as Frost and I am.”

Her face fell a little, and Barry noticed. “You miss her, huh?” he murmured, touching her knee.

She nodded. “It’s like finding someone that you realize understands you more than anyone you’ve ever met, and finally starting to get along with them and get to know them.... and then realizing that have leukemia or something and they pass away.” She let out a sigh, before pulling a face. “Of course I turn it into a medical condition.”

Cisco patted her shoulder and raised his next shot. “Alright then, here’s to loosing people we thought were our forevers,” he proclaimed, giving Barry a significant look. 

Barry let out a sigh and raised his own glass. “I’ll toast to that,” he murmured, and they drank.

“How’re you doing, Cisco?” he asked after his had drained his glass. “I’m sorry we never really got a chance to talk about Gypsy and what happened between you two.”

“Hey man, you understand it more than most,” Cisco shrugged. “Though I guess when you’re the breaker-upper it’s a little different.” He let out a sigh. “I just really wonder sometimes if I’ll ever find someone quite like Gypsy. But I don’t know; it’s gotten easier. And Ralph Dibney’s tips and tricks did _not_ help.”

“Aw, that makeover one was fun, though,” Caitlin smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Cisco made a face. “Uh, maybe for you. I happen to like my graphic tees look.”

“I do too, man,” Barry assured him. “And so will the next girl. You’re a great guy- you’re going to find someone. I know you will.”

“And until you do,” Caitlin added. “We can all be single together.”

Barry grinned. “You know... that doesn’t sound half bad.”

They drank.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know putting a 'five months later' is a little lame, but I originally didn't have that in and it just didn't totally work, so here we are.

_5 months later...._

The STAR Labs shower was kind of disgusting, but at least that meant that no one was going to use it except her. 

Nora pulled a face as she stepped out of the stream of lukewarm water and turned off the spout. She grabbed her waiting towel and wrapped it around herself, peeking out of the bathroom and checking both ways down the hallway before quickly flashing to her room. 

Once she was dressed, she grabbed her hairbrush and walked over to the vanity. What she saw made her freeze. 

A front strand of hair, on the side of her face without her bangs, was shock white.

Nora gasped, dropping the brush with a clatter and stumbling back from the mirror. She popped back into view a second later, hurriedly snatching at the white strands and separating them as much as possible from the rest of her hair, before cutting them off with a vibrating finger.

It was only when all the white pieces were curled on the ground that Nora took a deep breath and slowed down. White hair. Why did she have white hair? _How?_

Suddenly, a memory flashed into her head. Caitlin, kneeling down in front of her when she was very small... but no, it wasn’t Caitlin. It was.... Frost? Frost was showing Nora something... her hair. Her own... white hair...

Without warning, Nora toppled backward in a dead faint.

Caitlin and Barry found her about a minute later. The two of them had been spending more time together since their night at the bar (both with Cisco and one-on-one). It had been nice to get back to their old dynamic. They had been coming out off of a coffee outing that they weren’t _quite_ ready to considering a date yet, and walking down the hall when they heard a thud. The two of them exchanged wide-eyed glances and raced for Nora’s room. 

“Nora!” Barry cried, flashing to her side and landing on his knees beside her.

Caitlin’s eyes went wide and she followed. “Canvas the room,” she ordered Barry.

He nodded and quickly flashed around, checking for any hiding metahumans that could be waiting to make an attack. Meanwhile, Caitlin quickly checked Nora’s head for any signs of trauma. 

But the girl was already waking up, groaning and wrinkling her nose. “ _Ugh_ , what happened?” she asked groggily.

“You tell us,” Barry said, coming to a stop. “We just found you on the floor, unconscious.”

Nora’s eyes shot to the floor and she hurried shot to a sitting position. “Uh... nothing- nothing! Nothing happened, I just-”

“Passed out?” Caitlin supplied, eyebrow raised. She had noticed the fearful glance at the floor but Nora was blocking her view of exactly what it was. “Come on, you,” she instructed instead, taking Nora’s arm and helping her up. “We’re running a checkup.”

“Auntie Cait...” Nora groaned, pulling her arm away. “I’m fine, really! And my hair’s all tangled, I need to brush it.”

Barry’s eyes were on the floor. “Nora?” he asked softly. “What’s this?”

Nora’s face went white and she whipped around. “What- what’s what?!” she asked quickly, letting loose a nervous laugh.

Barry didn’t smile. He knelt down and Caitlin’s eyebrows jumped. Curled on the floor were a couple short rings of white hair. Nora’s shoulders slumped. “I didn’t want you guys to freak out so I didn’t say anything when you got here,” she sighed. “But when I got out of my shower.... a piece of my hair had turned white. I panicked.”

“So much you passed out?” Caitlin asked.

“That’s the odd thing,” Nora said, her face scrunching. “I suddenly got this... memory. Of Frost.”

Caitlin swallowed and Barry glanced up sharply. “A memory of Frost? A new memory?”

Nora nodded. “Yeah. It felt new, anyway, just for a moment. And then.... well, and then I passed out. Now, looking back on it, the memory feels like it’s always been there.”

“Okay,” Caitlin said briskly, putting her arm around Nora’s shoulder and steering her towards the door. “You. Cortex. I’ll be there in one moment and we are running some tests and figuring out what’s up.”

Nora nodded meekly and scuffed off toward the Cortex. 

Caitlin turned to Barry. “What if she’s-”

“Making new memories,” Barry finished. “Because we’re changing the future.”

Caitlin let out a slow breath, shaking her head. “Is that even _possible_?”

Barry lifted his shoulders cluelessly. “I don’t _know_ , Cait!” he exclaimed, voice rising. “What if I wake up one day and Nora has suddenly blinked out of existence? What then? Would we even _know_?”

Caitlin’s stomach dropped, her skin going cold. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “But it’s not as if we can do much about it. I mean, the future’s always in flux, right?”

“Right,” Barry sighed, voice lowering back to normal. 

Caitlin looked back at the strands of white hair on the floor. “What I don’t get is that,” she said, gesturing towards them. “Barry... pieces of my hair turning white was one of the first things that happened when I got cold powers. And that memory of Frost? It just doesn’t make sense.”

“I know,” Barry agreed. He glanced toward the door. “Come on, we should follow Nora.”

Caitlin nodded, and the two of them headed for the Cortex.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm literally SO SORRY it's been 10 days :O I meant to update this thing really fast and it just keeps slipping my mind. As anyone who has an account on here and posts knows, it is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to copy and paste stuff into the story box here! You have go through and add the all the enter returns and the HTML... takes forever. Thankfully, these chapters are short.

“What’ve you figured out?” Barry asked quietly. 

Caitlin looked up from her computer. “Not much,” she sighed. “The white hair wasn’t caused from the same DNA switch mine was.”

“So she doesn’t have cold powers?” Barry confirmed.

“No, thankfully,” Caitlin said. “We don’t have another old-Killer-Frost-inner-demon to deal with. It just seems that she suddenly has white hair.”

“Though, not anymore,” Barry pointed out, smirking. “Considering she cut it off.”

Caitlin laughed a little, turning back to her computer. “I did a quick brain scan, too, just to see if there’s anything that could tell us why she passed out. It seems like the amygdala, part of the brain that is responsible for making memories, is in a weird state of flux.”

Barry frowned. “So that would mean...?”

“Well, it’s like we had thought,” Caitlin elaborated. “It’s as if the past memories she had are suddenly changing, and her brain has to keep up.”

“That can‘t be comfortable.”

“My guess is that’s why she passed out,” Caitlin agreed. “Her brain was taking too much strain and it was easier on her body if it didn’t have to do anything but accept the new memories.”

Barry sat down heavily, rubbing his face. “So what are we going to do?” he asked.

Caitlin resisted a smile. She liked how the “we” that he mentioned now included her. It was a nice change from the last year. “I’m not quite sure... yet,” she admitted. “We’ll have to keep an eye one her. Maybe keep her out of the field.”

“She’ll _love_ that,” Barry muttered sarcastically. 

“Sounds like someone I know,” Caitlin said with a soft smile, raising an eyebrow in his direction. “She really is a lot like you, Barry.”

“I know,” he sighed. “A bit _too_ much, sometimes.”

Caitlin tilted her head to the side. “You are a good man, Barry Allen,” she said firmly. “Better than most. You should be proud that your daughter wants to be- and is- like you.” 

“Thanks, Cait,” Barry said, smiling. 

There was a soft cough from the doorway and the two of them looked over. “Uh, sorry to interrupt,” Nora said awkwardly. “But.... _am I dying_?!”

“No, you’re not dying,” Caitlin laughed, walking down to the Cortex to talk with her. “As I was just saying to Barry, your memories are in an odd state of flux right now and it’s taking a toll on your brain. We have no idea what the full effects of that will be, so we’re going to need to keep an eye on you. That means-”

Nora let out a groan. “No field work, yeah, I kind of figured.”

“Nora...” Barry scolded lightly. “I think that least you could say to Caitlin is thank you.”

“Thanks, Auntie Cait. I’m gonna go finish brushing my hair now,” Nora muttered. She stuck her hands in her pockets and walked slowly off. 

Caitlin shook her head a little and leaned against a desk. “So, what’s our plan?” 

Barry eyes were still on the doorway, where Nora had just been. He let out a sigh. “Honestly? I’ve got no clue. I’m still waiting for a Time Wraith to come shooting through a breach and trying to kill her or the Speed Force to get angry and start wrecking havoc on the world at large.”

Caitlin snorted and Barry stared at her in confusion. “I get that that was funny but I would have thought you’d be serious about this.”

Caitlin shrugged. “I don’t know, Barry,” she said. “I guess with everything that’s happened over the past couple of years, Nora’s memories from her past and our future starting to change isn’t the oddest one. What’s more interesting to me is _why_ they’re changing.”

“Why?”

“Yeah,” Caitlin elaborated. “We know that Iris is no longer her mother. But who is? Why is she getting white streaks in her hair and memories of Frost?”

They both went suddenly quiet and still. Then Caitlin let out a small, “Oh.”

“Oh,” Barry echoed, swallowing. “ _Oh_.”

“I think that....” Caitlin trailed off. “Maybe a DNA scan wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world?”

Barry nodded quickly and Caitlin turned toward the door. Right before she got to the hallway, he gently grasped her arm and turned her around. “Cait- I.... if she _is_ our.... well, I wouldn’t mind. I just want you to know that. I’d be okay with it.”

Caitlin swallowed heavily and glanced down. “Barry, I- I just don’t know. I mean, you and Iris-”

“Aren’t together anymore,” Barry interrupted.

“ _Were together for a very long time_ ,” Caitlin corrected gently. She sighed. “I know it’s been awhile since you were, but this still feels fast to me. I’m not- I’m not _upset_ with any of it... I just need to think about a little.”

Barry released a breath and let go of her arm, using that hand to rub the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he sighed. “I guess I do, too.”

She nodded, offering him a faint smile. “I’m going to go find Nora, okay?”

Caitlin found Nora in the Speed Lab, running in circles around the room. “Nora?” she called. 

“Oh, hey.” Nora ran down from the track and popped in front of Caitlin. 

Caitlin’s eyes went wide. “Nora... your lightning.”

“Hm?”

“It’s not.... purple anymore,” Caitlin said softly. “It’s.... blue.”

Nora’s eyebrows shot up and she quickly fluttered a hand in front of her face. yellow and ice-blue particles of Speed Lightning flickered around her fingertips. “Oh...” Nora murmured, her eyes shooting up to Caitlin. “But that means... so Iris....”

Then, for the second time that day, she collapsed.


	6. Chapter 6

“Nora!” Caitlin gasped, falling to her knees beside the unconscious girl. “Barry!” she yelled. “ _Barry!_ ”

Barry flashed into the room and spotted his daughter. “We have to get her back to your lab,” he said, picking Nora up bridal style and flashing away again.

Caitlin followed as fast as she could in her heels. By the time she arrived back at the Cortex, Nora was already in a gurney. “What do I do?!” Barry demanded.

At that moment, Cisco ran into the room. “I heard yelling, what’s going on?” he asked, before spotting Nora. “Dude! What happened to the mini-Barry? Is she okay?”

Caitlin hurried over the bed and quickly connected Nora to a heart monitor. “She should be fine...” she muttered. “My guess is she was just hit by a new memory. When I walked into the Speed Lab, I noticed that her lightning isn’t yellow and purple anymore.”

Barry’s eyebrows raised. “What.... what color is it?”

“Yellow... and blue,” Caitlin murmured, giving him a meaningful look. 

“Okay, what is going on here?” Cisco asked, eyes flying between the two of them.

While Barry gave him the abbreviated version of the events of the afternoon, Caitlin quickly checked up on Nora’s pulse rate and blood pressure. Then-

“Oh my God,” Caitlin gasped. “Barry, look.”

Nora’s face was pinched, her brow furrowed and her head twitching from side to side. But that’s not what had caught Caitlin’s attention. 

Her fingers were starting to fade.

“Ohhhh, that’s bad!” Cisco squeaked, running over. “This is like what happened when I was almost erased from the timeline when Thawn came back!”

Dead silence filled the room. Barry went pale. “It’s happening,” he whispered. “Without Iris and I being together.... she no longer exists. She’s fading.” 

Cisco looked in between the two of them frantically. “But- you guys can fix it!” he exclaimed. “She’s- she’s _yours_ , isn’t she? Your daughter? All you have to do is convince the timeline that eventually _you_ are going to create her!”

It was the first time someone had admitted, aloud, that Nora was Barry and Caitlin’s daughter. Caitlin felt her skin prickle and Barry turned to her, grasping her shoulders. “It makes sense,” he said. “I mean, if we ever.... if we ever got together then we would have a kid, right?”

“Yes, yes, _of course_ ,” Caitlin said vehemently. “And I would want her to be exactly like Nora is.”

Barry nodded, and started to lean in. At the last possible second before his lips would touch hers, Caitlin turned her head.

“Caitlin, what are you doing?!” Cisco yelled, staring in horror as Nora began to jerk on the bed and her waist started to vanish.

“I’m sorry!” Caitlin cried, eyes welling. “I’ve just- I’ve wanted this for so long, and I just didn’t want it to happen like this! I wanted us to get together- to kiss- _whatever_ , because we _wanted_ to, not because we _had_ to!”

“Caitlin.” Barry took her face in his hands, staring at her seriously. “I _want_ this. I _want_ us. I’ve wanted it for a very long time. This is just the push we’ve needed to finally make it happen! We don’t have to go fast. We can take it as slow as you want. This isn’t an obligation.... this is something I - _we_ \- want to do.”

Caitlin nodded, and kissed him.

There was a blinding flash of light from the corner of the room. Cisco leapt back, tripped over a chair, and tumbled to the floor. At the crash, Caitlin and Barry broke apart and looked over. 

There was a girl lying in the bed. Her skin was pale, her hair colored with streaks of brown and white. Her face was a little bit different, rounder and with a light pink flush on her cheeks. One of her eyes was blue, the other brown.

Caitlin and Barry exchanged glances and walked slowly towards the bed. “....Nora?” Caitlin whispered, suddenly terrified. What if this wasn’t the girl she had gotten to know and love? 

“Mom?” the girl mumbled, blinking a couple of times. She glanced down at herself. “Hey, I’m not dead! What happened?”

Both Barry and Caitlin let out gigantic sighs of relief. Barry reached forward and touched the girl’s shoulder. “Your name is still Nora, right?”

“Um, yep...” Nora replied slowly, giving him an odd look. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Barry opened his mouth, paused, and shut it again with a weak smile.

Nora glanced down at herself, frowning. “Everything’s kinda fuzzy. Did I used to be this pale?”

Caitlin let out a relieved laugh. “You look a little different than you did a couple minutes ago,” she told Nora. “Because we just changed the future. Well, your past.”

“Okay...?” Nora frowned, squinting. “I don’t really... everything’s fading.

Barry blinked. “Yeah, me.... me too.” He glanced up sharply. “Caitlin- I can’t remember how she used to look.”

“It’s because she never looked that way,” Caitlin realized. “That Nora doesn’t exist anymore.”

There was a certain sense of sadness, like someone had just died. But Caitlin steeled herself, because Nora - _her daughter_ \- was right there on the bed in front of her, perfectly alright. 

“Schway...” Nora murmured. “It’s like... It’s like the Doctor! Yo, Uncle Cisco! I’m like the Doctor and I just regenerated!”

Cisco beamed. “Okay, proud uncle moment,” he said, and Caitlin was almost positive she saw his eyes starting to tear up.

Barry took Caitlin’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “She doesn’t seem so different,” he said softly. “I wonder why that is.”

“She takes after you,” Caitlin shrugged. “But look at her. She seems....”

Barry smiled. “Happier,” he finished. 

Nora looked up at both of them, her eyes suddenly welling. “I’m so glad-” she chocked out. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

Caitlin’s eyebrows scrunched. “What do you mean, honey?”

Nora leaped off the bed suddenly and threw her arms around Caitlin. “I’m so glad that it’s _you_ who’s my mom,” she whispered. 

Barry reached one arm around Caitlin’s shoulders and the other around Nora’s. “Yeah,” he murmured, kissing both the tops of their heads. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH kind of a bittersweet ending because Nora isn’t exactly Nora.... but she is, don’t worry :) 
> 
> Stay tuned for the second installation of this story! Suppress will be coming soon.


End file.
